Newlywed BASE Jumper Falls to Death After Parachute Failure

A newlywed BASE jumper fell an astounding 2,000 to her death in front of her new husband after her parachute failed to deploy. Her husband of only two weeks, Clayton Butler, 29 jumped after her but ultimately could not save her.

Amber Marie Bellows, 28, was killed after jumping from the 7,276-fooot peak of Mount Kinesava in Zion National Park, Utah, at 4 p.m. Saturday per NY Daily News.

Image courtesy of Facebook.

The pair were well known in the BASE jumping community, having done this multiple times before.

After Butler landed safely on the ground, he was forced to walk past his wife’s lifeless body and for another two-and-a-half hours to seek help.

The couple, from Salt Lake City, had foregone park rules to hike up to Mount Kinesava and BASE jump from its snow-covered peak.

Bellow’s body was recovered by a park service helicopter Sunday morning. Zion National Park spokeswoman Aly Baltrus says it is the area’s first BASE jumping death.

Park superintendent Jim Milestone added: “It is just really sad and our condolences go out to her family and friends.

“BASE jumping is so dangerous. Even for those that are experienced, like Amber Bellows. That is one of the reasons it is not allowed in the park,” he added.

Base jumping is a sport in which participants jump from fixed objects and use parachutes to break their fall. “BASE” is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects one can jump from including building, antenna, span, and Earth. BASE jumping is known to be much more dangerous than other sports such as skydiving from a plane, and is currently regarded by many as a fringe extreme sport or stunt.

Bellows, the newlywed BASE jumper, joins the likes of 225 others who have also died from the activity since April 1981 per the on-line ‘Base Fatality List’ per a report published in February 2014.